Johto! Spotlight!
by xxHikari-Vanityxx
Summary: Dawn has just come to Johto and is trying to get ready for her Johto Contest Debut. What happens when she meets up with Paul, who has always been a jerk to her, and soon finds there may be more? Ikarishipping, with other minor pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

**Now that the disclaimer is over and done with it's time to say a few words in greeting. This is my first ever Pokemon fanfiction, so I'm hoping it's good. Wish me luck! Now for the shippings…**

**Ikarishipping – DawnxPaul**

**Hoennshipping – MayxBrendan**

**Gymshipping – BrockxMisty**

**Leagueshipping - AshxRichie**

**The main focus is going to be Ikarishipping, thus you won't be seeing a lot of the other listed shippings. I will include them sometimes, but not all the time.**

**Now then… time to get this show on the road.**

**

* * *

**It was finally the day she had been waiting for, the day she would go out on her own adventure and spread her wings. A smile grew across her face as the sun greeted her. The sounds of the city around her brought her back into reality. She remembered that she was currently in a dirty hotel room, her clothes thrown about everywhere, and she had one hour to clean it up and leave. She promised to meet up with Ash one more time before she left for Johto. 

Dawn sat up and pulled the cream colored blankets off her sleepy form and threw them back. It was cool in the room, forcing her body to shiver slightly. She swung her petite ivory legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly. She walked over in her slightly groggy state to her bag, grabbing out the outfit she had set aside the night before. The one good thing about being in Heathome City was the shops. She had spent the entire night looking for the perfect outfit to wear.

She ended up buying a pleated navy mini-skirt and a white tank with a black box on the front. Within the box were the words 'Sinclair', the brand name being what made it a must have. Next she had bought a bright blue scarf and fingerless gloves which matched the skirt and scarf. The next part was a pair of matching hair bows, replacing her old, pink hat. Finally, to finish the look she purchased a pair of black and blue boots. She had to give some credit to Ash's friend Misty though. If it weren't for her, Dawn would still be the little girl in pink.

Dawn had become friends with Misty after about a month of traveling with her. She remembered the day Ash had called Misty and about all of the jealous over Dawn. Misty had declared that she would be traveling with them to make sure 'no funny stuff' happened. Luckily for Misty, there had been nothing between Ash and Dawn, thus making the entire trip much easier.

With her new outfit on, Dawn set out to fix her hair. It wasn't as bad a usually, but still nothing she wanted to have seen in public. Running a brush through it did nothing, so it was time for plan B. Walking back over to her bag, she took out her belt and grabbed the first pokeball. Expanding it, she whispered 'Prinplup', so as not to awake the others who were still sleeping in the surrounding rooms. The large penguin pokemon came out, yawning as he did so, and turned to his training, already knowing what she was going to command. Dawn turned and smiled at her partner and waited for the water to run through her hair.

Prinplup blew out numerous bubbles, wetting down Dawn's hair just enough to fix it. She quickly began to blush through the tangled locks, going as quickly as possible. She added in the two bows and slipped on the two clunky boots. She zipped them up and quickly threw her old clothes into her bag, along with old accessories and the likes. With that she sighed and walked towards the door of the hotel room. She sighed and closed the door as quietly as possible. With that, her grin grew from ear to ear and she bounced up and down slightly before letting her voice fill the halls.

"Good bye Sinnoh, hello Johto!"

* * *

Ash and company sat outside of a small café known as 'Café Sol'. Everyone was a little glum, yet excited all the same. Dawn had been there traveling companion for quite sometime, and to see her go off on her own would be sad. Ash sipped on a small hot chocolate, Misty a strawberry smoothie, and Brock held an espresso in his rock hard grasp. Everyone waited nervously for Dawn to arrive, all trying to figure out just what to say to her. 

"I hope we're doing the right thing. Letting her take off on her own and all…" Misty said, slight sadness laced through her voice. She looked up towards the two males across from her.

"Dawn'll do just fine." Ash stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, I'm sure she'll bump into someone there who she can travel with."

"I know but just letting her go off into a big city she's never been to before isn't safe!" The red-head fumed. She knew Dawn would find someone to travel with, since she was an outgoing person it wouldn't be a shock if she had a friend by the time she arrived in Goldenrod City. But what scared her most was the fact that her friend could travel with the wrong crowd. Then by the next time they saw Dawn she might have her entire body tattooed and fifty body piercings. She pushed the image away and listened to what Brock and Ash were saying.

"I bet Dawn will be just fine. She's got a good head on her shoulders, after all." Brock stated in a firm voice.

"And besides, what's the worst that could possibly happen? She's got her Prinplup to help her out." Ash said, lightly placing a fist on the table, ending the conversation then. Another five minutes in silence and finally they would hear pants and gasps behind them. They looked up and saw the dark-haired girl they had been waiting for. She picked up her head and walked over to the last open seat at the table, between Misty and Brock. Everyone's frowns suddenly disappeared and looks of joy were aimed at Dawn.

"Congratulations Dawn." Misty said; a wide grin on her face.

"You'll do great in Johto, so no worries!" Ash said; excitement in his voice. He remembered his journey in Johto and all the fun he had.

"Yeah… you'll be fine Dawn…" Brock added; sadness still in his voice. Even thought there was a slight age difference, Brock and Dawn had at one point been a couple. But as soon as Dawn decided to go to Johto she told Brock they needed to split. Since then he never seemed happy around her. Yet Dawn knew they would have never made it in the long run, since Brock still looked at other women and talked about 'pretty girls' all the time. Plus Ash had told her about Brock and Lucy's 'friendship'.

"Thanks guys, I know I'll do great." Dawn smiled and looked up at Misty. "Make sure these two don't get into any trouble while I'm away."

"Okay, I can handle that." Misty laughed and both boys glared at Dawn.

After an hour of talking and relaxing Dawn looked down at her poketch, noting that her train would arrive in less than an hour. She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder and told her friends she had to leave. They hugged, said there partings, and watched as Dawn began her own journey. It would be different for them while Dawn was away, but they knew that this would be a good experience for the friend.

* * *

Finally, after twenty minutes in a taxi, Dawn was at the Magnet Train station. So far she hadn't seen anyone she recognized, which didn't really shock her in the least. She went up to the ticket booth and ordered her ticket. A woman behind the counter stamped the ticket and slid it over to Dawn. She thanked the woman, bowed, and turned to face the train. What she saw left her stunned. 

It was the largest vehicle she had ever seen. It was made of steel and had hundreds of windows lining the side. A red painted line had the words 'Steelix Express' written above it. Hundreds of people came off when it had finally stopped, and hundreds shoved there way on. Little children clung to there mother's for safety, shady characters pushed others down and walked aboard, and then there were trainers, like herself.

Dawn pushed her way onto the train, and she was on right as ther doors began to close. She sighed in relief and began to scope out a seat. Everywhere she went was over run with people cramming into seats. She was now in the very back of the train and all but one seat had been taken. A cute little blonde girl seat alone, looking out the window, watching the people wave family and friends good-bye. Her amber eyes showed boredom, which wasn't a shock since she was alone. Dawn cleared her throat and the girl looked up.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Dawn asked, her voice hardly able to be heard over the voices surrounding her.

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind." The younger girl smiled and slid over slightly. "My name is Riri, by the way."

"Hi, my name is Dawn." Dawn gave Riri a pearly smile and then silenced herself. After a few minutes of silence Riri finally broke it.

"So… what brings you to Johto miss Dawn?" She sung her hair out of her face, hair that Dawn couldn't help but envy.

"Oh, well, I'm a coordinator and I finished all of the Sinnoh contests. So I guess it was time to pack up and hit the road alone. Once I get to Goldenrod City I can quickly register and rush to the first contest!" Dawn could hear the excitement in her voice. It had been a year since she had been in her last contest. Since then she had stayed with her mother, trying to decide what to do next. A friend of Ash's had called him to tell him about the new contests coming up, news which was passed along to Dawn. She quickly packed up and hit the road, getting to Heathome City as fast as humanly possible.

When she had first gotten to Heathome City she had a month to waste, so she trained her pokemon for contests once again. She made her Prinplup burst his bubblebeams with a stunning metal claw attach, had Buneary learn boton pass and shot it around so fast it looked like a ghost, and finally, she made her newest pokemon, Espeon, have the greatest confusion and swift combo possible. She knew, or at least, hoped she was ready.

"Cool, I'm going to Johto to search for a friend of mine. He disappeared a few years ago. He left saying he was going to become a Pokemon Master." Slight sadness was in her eyes, but it was quickly dismissed. "We should travel together, since I'm not even sure where he is. It's always nice to travel with someone."

"That'd be awesome! I could have someone to cheer for me at my contests and I could help you search out this boy you're looking for!" Dawn clapped her hands together and the two started to talk. Dawn had learned a few things about Riri. She played guitar for fun, as a child she model for large chain stores, and had no skill with pokemon battles. She enjoyed playing music, although she didn't want it to be her future career, instead she wanted to become a Breeder.

Finally the train stopped and people began to flow out. The station in Goldenrod City was a replica of the station in Heathome City. People were once again filling the train, so Dawn and Riri quickly exited before being crushed against random bodies. Once they had gotten above ground the girls gasped. This city was even larger than Heathome, about twice the size even. The streets were lined with people of all ages, shapes, and gender. Men and women conversed with an odd accent. There vowels held tons of emotions and words beginning with an R had a V slipped in. Needless to say it did intrigue the two.

First stop was the pokemon center to get Dawn signed up for the contest. Taking out her Poke'tch, Dawn quickly scrolled to the map and zoomed in on Goldenrod. Luckily, it showed that the center was only about a block away. The two slug there bag over there backs and began walking to the center.

* * *

As Dawn was registering, Riri had gone off to the bathroom to change out of her Train clothes, which consisted of sweat pans and a white tank-top. She slipped on a cherry colored mini-skirt and added a red belt with black stars. Next she pulled a new black tank-top over her head and an azure button-up jacket with red stars. She quickly fixed the buttons and clipped on a choker necklace with a giant, fake magenta rose. She threw on a matching hat that at one point could have belonged to someone in the army. To finish off her outfit she pulled on a pair of knee-high, ruby boots. With that she picked up her bag and walked back out and towards Dawn who was on the phone. 

"Yeah Misty, Johto is great so far! Goldenrod is so big and exciting!" Dawn looked to the side and smiled at Riri before continuing. "It turns out my first contest is in Ecruteak City where some old tower use to be."

"I bet it's the Brass Tower that was burned down after some great war." Misty shrugged and a laugh could be heard. From what Dawn had been told Ash's friend Richie had come to Sinnoh and found Ash. Long story short: They were hanging out. "So, find anyone to travel with yet?"

"Yeah, her name is Riri. She's pretty cool." She nodded as if to confirm what she said. Since she didn't really know Riri yet she didn't have an opinion one way or another. "Anyways, I've gotta rush off and make it to Ecruteak City by next week or else I won't be able to compete. I can't miss my first ever Johto contest!"

Misty laughed at Dawn's frustration and anxiety. They said there goodbyes and Dawn sighed. She already missed her friends and she had just left them. How was she ever going to get by alone? She did have Riri to talk to and have fun with, but they would part ways soon, so she couldn't get too attached to the blonde girl. Dawn felt a tap on her shoulder and she spun around on her heals. Rir smiled at her and Dawn nodded. Once again she was going to be on the road.

* * *

Dawn and Riri had hit the large shopping center before heading out. They stocked up on Super potions, full heals, and some pokemon food. Luckily, for the few contests Dawn had won, and her mother's kind heart, she had enough money for shopping. They were finally on the out skirts of town when Dawn caught a small glance of purple flash before her eyes. It was right by the forest, but it moved fast enough that she couldn't see quite what it was. Finally a pair of fingers snapped before her eyes. 

"Miss Dawn, are you there?" Riri asked in her usual childish voice. Even though she was twelve she sounded as if she were only nine or ten. Dawn blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just fine!" She laughed awkwardly before she continued. "Oh, and you don't need to call me 'Miss' Dawn. It's just Dawn, okay?"

"Sure, 'Dawn'". It sounded as if she were testing out a name from some foreign land. She smiled and shrugged before tailing along after Dawn. They had decided on bypassing the Park for now, they could go some other time, and just take the forest path to Ecruteak. By now it was growing dark and the two girls knew that soon they would be forced to set up camp. They came to a very small clearing in the forest which they decided to stop at. Dawn rolled out a bright blue sleeping bag and a navy blue tent. She had always refused to sleep under the stars, finding it gross to lie on the ground.

Fortunately for her, Riri had the same though. She rolled out a Red camping set and began to set everything up. Once they had the tents propped up they both crept into Dawns tent and flicked on an electric lantern. They gave each other a slight grin and then turned away from each other to change. Dawn wore a soft blue colored night gown and a pair of slippers. Riri wore her sweat pants and tank-top.

"So, Dawn, if you don't mind me asking… Have you had any boyfriends?" Riri's eyes glittered in wonder, making Dawn feel slightly awkward.

"Well… There was this one guy named Brock I guess." Dawn tried to think up a good place to start her story. Finally she found the right place. "You see, I started my journey over in Sinnoh, as you know. I met Ash and Brock when I was just starting out. Every night, after Ash had fallen asleep, Brock and I would sit around a talk. Usually it would end up with him flirting and me giggling. So, one thing led to another and we started dating."

"Well, what happened after? Did you guys break up?" Riri slapped a hand over her mouth, knowing she had gone too far. Dawn sighed loudly and decided to continue.

"Yeah, see, he was friends with 'Pike Queen' Lucy, or something like that. One night Ash told me that Brock was on the phone with her in the nearby Pokemon Center, so I went to find out what was going on." Dawn paused for a moment, ready to feel the slight hurt come on. "He was telling her how much he loved her and how he couldn't wait to see her again. So I broke up with him the next morning."

"Oh… I'm really sorry." Riri placed a hand on Dawn's back to comfort her. Dawn flashed Riri a small smile and turned towards the ground. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, the guy I'm following is my boyfriend. Most would think after losing contact with him for a year you'd just forget about him. But he was my best friend so I guess I couldn't do that. His name was… Michael. He was always so nice to pokemon and he said they were his life. He was so dedicated. In fact, he was the one who caught me my first pokemon!"

At this Dawn looked up. "Wait, you have pokemon?"

Riri nodded and reached into her bag and pulled out a pokeball. She expanded it andlet out a small, yellow sheep. Upon it's a small 'marrrreep' could be heard from the small lamb. Riri held it close and cuddled it. "This is my Mareep that Michael caught for me. He gave it to me one week before he left."

Mareep was sent back into her pokeball and then Riri grabbed her bag. She said her partings and went to her own tent, leaving Dawn alone. She unzipped her tent and grabbed her three pokeballs. With that she snuck off into the wood, lantern and balls in hand. She needed a moment with her pokemon, just to recollect her thoughts. So much had happened all in one day, and she need familiar faces to help her. Once she thought she was far enough away she called out Prinplup, Espeon, and Buneary, each one over joyed to be able to stretch there legs.

Buneary hopped up onto Dawn's shoulder, Espeon sitting at her trainer's feet. Prinplu stood across from Dawn, like an equal. Dawn sunk to the ground beside her Espeon and a few tears escaped her eyes. She really missed Ash, Misty, and even Brock. They were her friends and now she was in a new place with nobody to tell her problems to. Thus began her cries to her pokemon.

After twenty minutes of sobbing Dawn heard a stick crack. She turned her head to quickly and made herself dizzy. When she finally recovered she called out.

"Who's there? Show yourself you freak!" Fake bravery was heard in her little voice. Finally the purple from earlier revealed it's self. It was a man, no, a teenaged boy with purple hair and electric eyes. Suddenly Dawn was filled with joy. She jumped up and ran towards the familiar boy. She tapped his nose to make sure it wasn't an illusion. Unfortunately she heard a growl growing within him and stepped away. But her smile was still there.

"Is that really you Paul?"

* * *

**Woo-Hoo! First chapter done and it's 3000+ words!**

**Anyways, R&R.**

**And in your review, please tell me if I should keep Riri in the story for a prolonged period of time. I'm not to sure I like her that much. But the reader's opinion is what truly matters. And I already have a way to write her off for now if need be.**

**ALSO! I'm looking for three beta-readers. I know most people only get one, but I figure the more the merrier, right?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to chapter two of "Johto! Spotlight!"**

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter; I tried my best so hopefully my best was in fact good enough for everyone.**

**And this chapter is dedicate to my friend Katy, since her birthday is on Thursday.**

**I don't really have anything to put for an author's note so… here we go I suppose!**

* * *

"Is that really you Paul?" Dawn asked, happiness and excitement filled her voice. She wanted to latch onto him and squeeze the life out of him. Well, she did anyways, until she remembered the things Paul usually said to her. He had forgotten her numerous times and had even given her unkind nicknames. Everything from 'Stupid Chick' to 'Bitch'; she had been called them all.

"Who the hell are you?" Paul truly remembered the dark haired girl, since she was rather hard to forget. His golden eyes challenged her electric blue orbs, and he got the exact response he wanted from her.

"My name is Dawn! How can you not remember me you asshole, I'm the most memorable person ever!" She stepped forward in a rage and cracked her knuckles. She quickly jabbed her first towards Paul once, which he easily side stepped. Next she tried to ram him into a tree, resulting with her laying on her back and Paul smirking down on her. She tried to get up, but fatigue had defeated her. She sighed and looked up to see Paul's disgusted face. "You… you have to… know who I am…"

With that Dawn's eyes fluttered closed and she drifted into a peaceful sleep. Paul peered down upon the sleeping beauty and grumbled out a few words incoherently.

"Stupid chick… always causing me more god damned problems…" With that, Paul lifted the lightly snoring girl and headed off towards the campsite he had seen while walking through the woods. Dawn's pokemon followed close behind, ready to protect there friend at any moment. They would never be very trusting of him, since he was never too kind to Dawn, or anyone for the matter.

He noticed the fire light from before and looked up from the navy haired girl in his arms to the blonde girl sitting by the fire, fear written all over her face. Twigs and leaves being crushed alarmed Riri that someone was now there. She stood up, fingering her baggy sweat pants nervously. She looked through the smoke protruding from the dying flames before her. She grinned from ear to ear when she saw Dawn in the arms of this stranger. She scurried over to the teen and pointed towards the sleeping girl in his arms, her night gown wrinkled and covered in dirt.

Riri bowed quickly and began to direct Paul towards Dawn's tent, saying as few words as possible. She was grateful that he had found her traveling partner, but at the same time she had no idea who he was. She hastily unzipped Dawn's tent and motioned for Paul to set her down. Riri took the liberty of recalling Dawn's pokemon, placing the balls beside the slumbering teen. She waved the unknown boy off before entering her own tent. Hearing Dawn slip out of her tent earlier in the evening, she decided to wait for her.

Finally she could rest. She let her weary eyes rest finally, absorbing all the sleep she possibly could.

-------------------------------

Dawn was the first to awaken, surprisingly enough. She sat up with a jolt, unaware that she had been in her tent. All that she could remember was feeling nostalgic, walking away from the campsite, and finding Paul. Although the last part may have only been a dream, and yet it felt so real, so she knew it had to have been reality. Looking at herself she noted that she was in her wrinkled and exceedingly dirty nightgown. She eyed it wearily, knowing she had to wash it by hand now, since Brock wasn't around to actually cook, clean, and do laundry.

She slowly stripped off the baby blue gown, feeling a cold breeze caress her scantily clad form. Obviously she hadn't packed the best clothing for her Johto journey if it was always going to be cold like this. Slipping on her traveling clothes she took out her make-up mirror. Noting her horrendous hair, she began to run a brush through her hair. With every stroke it seemed to get worse and worse. Finally she gave up, deciding to go with plan B and ask Prinpulp to help her.

After her hair was in an orderly fashion she started applying a fresh coat of make-up. Finally she was looking as good as she possibly could. She brushed back her scarf and instantly wished she had a jacket. She unzipped her ruby tent and set to making breakfast for herself and Riri. Once her companion was awake she might find out something about last night.

Taking out a package of instant rice she quickly threw it in an average sized pot and dumped in a bottle of water. Striking a match and lighting the fire, she had the rice boiling in a matter of minutes. She took off the rice, and as if on cue, Riri slipped out of her tent, groggy and having large bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. She had changed into her normal clothes before leaving the tent though, making her look a little livelier.

"Morning Riri, I made some rice, or tried at least. Eat up!" Dawn said cheerfully. She was a morning person, where as it seemed Riri was not.

"Uh… yeah, sure. Rice sounds great." Riri sat on the ground and Dawn passed her a bowl of ashen white rice. It was obviously under cooked, but at least Dawn had tried to cook, for once in her life. She cringed on the first bite and slowly set the bowl aside. "So do you know that guy who carried you back here last night?"

"What guy? What did he look like?" Dawn asked, happy to finally getting to learn something about last night's events.

"Lets see… I think he had purple hair and gorgeous golden eyes!" She blushed a little and quickly tried to compose herself. "I guess he must have been about six feet tall, around fourteen or fifteen years old."

"Paul!?" Dawn yelled out. Of all of the people to actually help her it had to be that asshole? Her rage grew again and fury showed in her sapphire eyes. "Which way did he go? I'm gonna kill him for forgetting my name again!"

"Er… he went that way I think." Riri pointed towards a path in the tree and Dawn immediately started off towards the path. Riri stood up and tagged along behind the infuriated girl before her. Obviously Dawn knew Paul, and said boy hadn't bothered to mention that the night before. It was almost scary, Dawn's sudden anger explosion.

"When I find him I'm going to show him what I'm made of!" Dawn shrieked, ready to kill anyone who got in her way. The first person in Johto that she knew had forgotten her. Truthfully, he remembered the young coordinator, mostly her random mood swings and such. But he wasn't going to give her the pleasure of knowing that she had left an impression on him.

Dawn's cerulean and ebony boots left pints in the soft dirt. She looked at her Poke'tch and brought up the map. To her surprise the path they were taking was soon going to lead them to Ecruteak City, which was were her contest was going to be in only a matter of days. This relaxed her a bit, but she was still slightly ticked off. Looking at her poke'tch she noted the distance from her current location to the city. _"Only a mile left." _She thought happily.

"So, if you see Paul tell me, okay?" She turned to Riri and gave the younger girl a genuine smile. She wasn't going to take her anger out on her new friend anymore, since it wasn't Riri's fault in the first place.

"Will do, Dawn." Riri smiled and then looked down towards a ringing in her skirt pocket. Grabbing out her cellphone she looked at the caller I.D. and sighed. "Hello, Riri Speaking……" She began to whisper into the phone, leaving Dawn confused and curious. "Okay boss, I'll take care of everything. Good day."

"What was that all about, Riri, and what in the world is that thing you were just using?" Dawn looked down at the electronic device in Riri's hand.

"It's called a Poke'Gear. It's pretty old, but still useful." She smiled and started walking again, leaving Dawn behind. Finally she started talking again, pulling Dawn out of her daze. "Once we get to Ecruteak I'm going to have to leave you for a little while, okay?"

Dawn nodded, surprised at the younger girls sudden change in personality. She ran after Riri and a huge grin was plastered to her face. They had reached Ecruteak.

-------------------------------

Dawn was currently on her own, having parted ways with Riri for the time being. She knew three things she needed to do: one, register for the contests, two, get a room for the next three days, and three, find Paul and kill him. Not to say she was really going to kill him, only yell at him and throw a few careless punches. Luckily, upon entering the Pokemon center she could take care of two birds with one stone. She entered and stepped towards a desk, a sign above it saying 'Registry' in bold, cream colored letters.

Stepping towards the woman manning the desk, Dawn smiled. She slipped her poke'dex into the slot and waited while the nurse Joy punched in some information. The poke'dex came out and Dawn bowed politely to Joy, thanking her for the useful information about Johto contests. The only true difference between Sinnoh and Johto contests was the the battles were double battles.

Next she went to the next desk to get a room key. Luckily, staying at a pokemon center was free. Dawn smiled as she walked down the hall to her room, forgetting all about Paul as she went on her merry way. She was told that all contest participants must share a room, which Dawn didn't really mind. She thought it would be good to get to know the competition since it would help her in the long run.

She stopped in front of her room and stopped, she could hear an argument going on in the room before her. Suddenly the door slammed open and a boy with green hair stepped out. Dawn looked up at him and he simply pushed past her. Fury once again coursed through her veins. Before she could run after him and knock some manners into him, a girl was standing before her. Anger was written all over her face. Her black gloved hands were balled into fists.

"Excuse me, but who are you and why were you eavesdropping?" The coffee haired girl demanded. Her face was painted red with fury.

"I'm Dawn." She quickly said, hoping to avoid conflict with this girl. "I'm staying in this room, I guess."

The gloved girl looked her up and down and moved out of Dawn's path. Dawn entered the room and tossed her bag on the spare bed, which must have been home to the other girl's luggage for a little while, since the blankets were crumpled and wrinkled. Dawn sat on the bed and looked around. Everything looked orderly, meaning her roommate hadn't been here too long.

"Hey, sorry about my little out burst earlier." The girl laughed nervously before continuing. "You see, my egotistical ex-boy friend decided to be a jealous ass to me."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Dawn said, fidgeting with her navy gloves. She wasn't quite sure what to say to this stranger. "So what's your name?"

"I'm May, pleased to meat you." The girl, May, extended a hand which Dawn gladly shook. "I'm sorry, but I've gotta head out to meet up with a friend of mine."

Waving, May left the room and closed the door with a _click_. That left Dawn alone and without anything to do, until she remembered her little Paul problem. With new found determination she stood and left the room, ready to explore Ecruteak city.

_

* * *

_

Riri stood before a large desk, papers stacked high, her expression was dark and her usually happy demeanor was completely erased. This was the true Riri, a cold hearted and emotionless girl. She could act though, which made most of her jobs much easier. Finally a hard voice spoke up and called her to attention.

"You know your new orders correct?" The man's voice filled the room. The authority it held had Riri on edge. Two more girls stepped out, each one looking a lot like the younger girl. One was about seventeen, the second about fifteen, leaving Riri to be the youngest at only the age of twelve. If it wasn't obvious, they were sisters, and all part of a group.

"Yes boss. Capture Dawn Hikari, bring her here, lure Paul Shinji into our trap, steal his pokemon, and…" Riri stopped for a moment before continuing. "Silence them so word doesn't get out about this."

The older siblings giggled slightly at there younger sister's slightly worried tone. They both set one hand on each of her shoulders to calm her.

"Yes, very good. Soon you will be one of the twelve Team Zodiac executives. Just like your two lovely sisters here." The man laughed again and motioned for them to leave. The three sisters left to room and finally they spoke.

"Is little Riri sad that she has to destroy her new little friend?" The oldest sister cackled in joy. The second sister joined in and finally Riri silenced them by speaking.

"Fauna, Eli, shut up right now!" Riri snarled. "I never knew Dawn and Paul knew each other. Hell, I didn't even know who Paul was until an hour ago! How can you expect me to kidnap them, kill them, and try to find Michael all at once?"

Both of the older girls grimaced and sighed. "Michael is no longer a concern of yours. From today forward you are to forget about him and leave that little problem to the other Executives." Eli said, her voice laced with a business-like authority. Out of the three sisters Eli was usually the one to keep everyone in check. Fauna tended to be the cruel and sadistic of the group, leaving Riri to be the emotionless and uncaring one.

"And when are you going to drop that stupid, childish nickname?" Fauna asked in a harsh tone. "Your real name is Rinroi. Get use to it because we will be calling you that from now on."

With that, both Eli and Fauna left there younger sister to think over her new mission.

* * *

It only took Dawn a little while to figure out where Paul was, seeing as how there was only one gym in the area. And even though he already had the badge, there was still training that could be done there. The inside of the gym sent chills up Dawn's spine. The only source of light was six torches which lined the walls and a window in the far back of the gym. She stepped onto the black run and felt nothing beneath her feet, thus she quickly stepped back. Moans and groans could be heard throughout the gym. Suddenly Dawn wished she hadn't come alone, at night.

The gym doors slammed shut behind her and she let out an 'eep' of surprise. Turning to look at the door she could see two elderly women and three elderly men all moving towards her. They grabbed her arms and began to drag her to the back of the gym. She tried to shake them off, but couldn't..

"Let go of me you old croons! I'll scream if you don't let go!" She continued to yell and throw threats at her until she was at the very end of the gym. They released her arms and turned, silently, and left. "I wanna get out of here!"

A few tears from fear fell from Dawn's eyes. She knew she was over reacting, but she didn't know what to do. Suddenly a few foot steps sounded near her. She quickly looked around her and still saw nobody. Next, to add to Dawn's fright, the lights turned on and all were aimed towards her. Slowly they dimmed, making the gym once again dark. Dawn finally screamed, to afraid to do anything else. Then a hand clamped over her mouth, making her freak out. She grabbed the wrist and removed the hand.

"Don't touch me you freak!" Dawn stood up and began to run to where she hoped the exit would be. Suddenly she heard the voice she had been waiting to hear.

"What the hell are you doing here stupid bitch?" Not exactly what she wanted to be called, but it could have been worse. Yet she wasn't going to take an insult and not fight back.

"Well at least I'm not some jerk face loner who can't seem to make friends, Bastard!" Dawn turned once again on her heels and walked back towards where Paul had been. She was face to face with him, but could hardly make out his figure. "Now then, I demand an apology from you!"

"Why should I apologize to an idiot like you?" Paul asked in a harsh tone. Suddenly a crash was heard and Dawn freaked, clinging onto Paul for comfort. After a minute of relaxing, she realized what she had just done. She had clung onto Paul. She was going to be dead in a matter of minutes. Quickly detaching herself from the fuming boy, she giggled nervously.

"W-well, you need to apologize for calling me a bitch, obviously!" Dawn stated, angry at him for calling herself that, and angry with herself for almost forgetting about that. "Also, explain what happened last night! Why did you carry me back to my tent?"

Paul sighed and shook his head, locks of purple hair swung just above his shoulders. "I don't have time for this. You want an apology, fine, I'm so sorry for saying the truth and calling you a bitch." He paused and allowed Dawn to gasp. "And I don't have to explain anything to you."

Dawn, by this point was fuming. Nobody called her a bitch and said it was the truth. Yeah, she had mood swings, but what girl didn't? It was a part of life. She aimed her balled fist towards Paul's face and just like last time, he dodged it. He smirked and pointed towards the bleachers.

"Go sit and cool off, since we both know trying to fight me is useless. I'm about to have a match and I have no time for your petty anger fits." Paul stated in a demanding voice. Dawn shuddered back slightly and did as she was told. Usually she wouldn't have listened to him, but it this case he had a good point. She quickly climbed to the center section of bleachers and sat down, waiting for the match to begin. Suddenly a man walked in, long blonde hair and a surfer-dude style walked in, his loose blue shirt fluttering in the nonexistent wind.

Both trainers stared each other down, an obvious rivalry stood between the two. The leader was the first to break the silence when he chuckled softly to himself. Smiling at Paul he expanded a pokeball and red light unveiled a Haunter.

"I've been training Paul. As you know, I'm still looking for the lovely bird of rainbow feathers." He smirked and awaited Paul's pokemon. Paul took a ball off of his belt and expanded his ball.

"Monferno, go!" The multi-colored primate cried out, then turned towards the ghost and glared. It jumped into the air slightly and finally the match was under way. Haunter not listening to Morty's commands, rather, it was going with its own strategy. Not that this bothered the leader anyways, for he had tought his pokemon how to fight on there own. Yet Paul did battle like that. Looking at Morty with determination he yelled, "Fire spin, go."

Red flames burst around the ghost as it cried out in pain. Morty immediately gave knew that he wasn't near the level Paul was at. Calling back Haunter he sighed and bowed in respect.

"Obviously the champion is still too strong for me." The leader chuckled to himself, then finally took notice of the girl on the bleachers. "And who might that be Paul?"

"Oh, her, that's the stupid chick I was telling you about." Dawn glared dagger's at the violet haired boy and turned back to look at the leader.

"My name is Dawn, ignore that asshole!" Dawn spat before, once again, glaring at Paul.

"Ah, pleased to meet you Dawn. I'm Morty, the leader of this gym." He gave Dawn a slightly detached smile and turned to Paul once again. "It's almost midnight, you two should leave."

With that Morty turned and left the two teens alone in the darkened gym. Dawn stood and skipped down the bleachers and stood before Paul, a slight smile on her face. "Nice match Paul, you really are a great trainer!" She said, excitement laced in her voice. Paul grunted and started to walk off. Dawn quickly followed after him, which wasn't really expected.

"What do you want stupid chick?" Paul asked, annoyed with her following.

"Well, I'm not really sure how to get out, since I was dragged here to begin with." Paul sighed and started walking again. To add to his annoyance, Dawn attached herself to his arm and smiled.

"Don't wanna get separated, ya know?" She grinned, and unknown to Paul, a small blush was painted upon his face.

* * *

**Well, I know I changed Riri drastically, but she was getting really boring for a while there. So please understand that she will be like this a few more chapters and then she'll be gone for a while. Please understand though that Team Zodiac is a lot like Team Rocket, only much more drastic and dangerous.**

**I'm working on making better battle scenes, so please don't give up on me just yet!**

**Thanks you to Animeflash for being my amazing beta! Cookies to her!**

**R&R**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back to J!S! and here is chapter three.**

**I will warn you that there will be a little Hoennshipping in this chapter.**

**And thanks to the amzing beta-reader, Animeflash!**

**

* * *

**

It had been about ten minutes since Dawn and Paul had begun there search for the exit. Paul's irritation was growing, and unknown to the girl who was latched to him, she was the cause. Her navy hair was tickling his arm, and he had to fight not to yell at the girl beside him. He could hardly see her in the little amount of light they had, not that he truly cared.

A draft swept through the hall, floor boards creaked, and haunting noises sent chills up Dawn's spine. By now her vice grip had cut off the circulation in Paul's pale arm. It was obvious she was scared- then again, who would be afraid in this situation?

"Will you let go of my arm, you bothersome girl?" Paul grumbled softly, but still in his normal cold, harsh, voice. Dawn immediately released him.

"Um, sorry Paul." Dawn looked forward, trying to make out the path. The lack of light bothered her, although she wasn't afraid of the dark, she simply liked to know where she was. Then an idea hit her. "Paul, call out Monferno and use him as a light source."

Paul glared at the girl beside him. Nobody gave him orders, even if they were right about something. He scowled and took out a pokeball, expanding it. He called out the primate and the hall was quickly illuminated. The pokemon really had changed since Dawn had last seen him. Besides its evolution, it had also undergone a personality change. It was now silent and tended to glare at everyone other than Paul, giving it an angry feel. Dawn wondered if all of Paul's pokemon ended up this way from his training style, which she still didn't approve of.

Now with some light in the hall, it was easy to figure out how much longer of a walk they had. An arrow painted on the wall had the words 'ten yards minute until…' Where as it wasn't exactly a clear answer, it meant they were close to something. Unfortunately it wasn't quite the exit the wanted…

--------------------------------

Interlude

--------------------------------

May sat inside a high-class restaurant, fingering the tea-rose colored lace at the bottom of her dress. When she had first entered the restaurant she had been given a box from the host of the evening. She was escorted to the changing room and told to change quickly. The measurements were in fact perfect, surprisingly enough. The rose colored dress was a soft silk material with small black dots, making it look almost like a richly colored strawberry. Once she had changed and stepped out of the tiny room two young women came and tied matching ribbons into May's russet locks.

On the over all, she felt over dressed even if she was in a formal dining situation. It might have just been because she personally hated dressing up, but she wasn't going to argue; this was the first time she would be able to see Brendan since she had become a coordinator. Meeting up with him had been something she'd wanted to do for a long time, but she never actually had the time. So, although it forced her and Drew to break up, she was happy.

She looked towards the door constantly, waiting for her childhood friend to finally come. Finally, the silver haired male walked it, a regular black tux covering his form. A few girls swooned around May. Brendan had become famous through the years, having become the Grand Festival Champion of Kanto four years running. May blushed when he reached the table. He lifted her delicate hand and pressed a light kiss upon it.

"Hey May, you still weak like before?" At first May was offended, but then she looked up to see his joking smile. She grinned back at him and he finally sat down across from his date. The first few minutes were the awkward 'how have things been' 'what have you been up to' etc. Neither of them had really changed in the past few years, except for finally reaching puberty.

They ordered a meal to share, receiving envious glares from people around them. Both were famous to a certain degree, both were beautiful people, and both were acting like a couple. They continued to talk about there lives when finally there meals were brought out. A platter of roasted birds and fresh vegetation greeted there hungry eyes, garnished in mint leaves. They started in on there meals, talking less and eating more. Finally a familiar voice broke the silence.

"So, I break up with you, and in the same day you get a piece-of-trash boyfriend?" May looked over to find a certain green haired boy glaring at the two teens. May quickly stood to protest but Brendan, remaining calm, beat her to the punch.

"Excuse me, but you are interrupting our date and if you wouldn't mind leaving me and my friend here alone, I'd be thankful." Brendan said, trying to remain calm and reasonable. He knew who the green-haired male was: Drew. Drew had been the only trainer to ever beat him in a contest, which wasn't something the silver haired boy was proud of.

"I would leave, but not without her." Drew pointed at May and grinned. "I love her more than you ever will and I won't leave without her!"

May slipped out of her chair and walked towards Drew, tears beginning to build up in her eyes. Brendan looked towards the tabled and began to worried, would she truly leave? No, he didn't think she would do something like that. And he was right, instead of May begging for Drew to take her back, she delivered a hard slap across his face. Before he could even speak May began.

"If you loved me you would let me hang out with my friends." May growled out. The once perfect evening was being ruined, all because of one simple misunderstanding. "Get out now. We'll talk later!"

Both Drew and Brendan were surprised that she had yelled. By this point, the entire restaurant was watching the scene. Looking around, May told the people to stop eavesdropping and eat there meals. Silence filled the tabled while the two finished eating. The quickly paid and left, not wanting to be watched any longer. Once outside Brendon spoke in a low tenor voice.

"So… you want to go to Route 42, sit by the water, and just talk?" He asked hopefully. He didn't want the outing to end just yet; rather, he wished it could last forever. She was his childhood crush and he just couldn't let go of that. Now he only wished she felt the same. May nodded, lifting the bottom of the rose dress so it wouldn't drag in the dirt. Brendan took May's hand and led her towards the edge of town.

The moon light shimmered on the transparent pool of water. Both of the teens looked down into the water, looking at the other's reflection. Confusion and anger could be seen in May's reflection, where as concern was seen in Brendan's.

"Or, you know May, if you want, you could travel with me." Brendan stated, hoping from the bottom of his heart he would hear a yes, but he knew otherwise.

"I'm sorry Brendan… but right now I need to sort things out with Drew and figure out what I want from him." May replied, her voice low and careful. She didn't want to hurt Brendan like she had in the past, but she had no choice.

"_May, we should go on an adventure when we get old, okay?" A young Brendan asked his friend. They were inseparable in those days, always planning there futures together._

"_Yeah, and then we can get married and be the greatest trainers ever!" May added happily, like most kids, she said things like that without thinking of the future. They promised each other that those plans would one day be reality, but then Ash came into the picture…_

May had decided to travel with Ash, and thus she had met Drew. That was how this entire problem had come into being. May now thought of those plans as just a childish thing, nothing important. Yet Brendan was still hoping that one day they would become his reality.

Brendan sighed and stood up, reaching a hand down to May to help her up. She took his hand gently and he slowly lifted her. He had a plan finally and now it was time to throw it into fully motion. Gradually, he took her other hand and pulled her pulled, right into his chest. May blushed, she didn't know if she should struggle, or accept the embrace. She decided to accept it for now, since it wouldn't hurt any. But Brendan had other plans. He took his index finger and set it on her chin, tilling her head up, toward his face. Slowly, he brought his lips to her soft pink ones, and they gently collided.

Now May was even more confused than before…

--------------------------------

Back with Dawn and Paul

--------------------------------

Dawn and Paul stood at the end of the hall way, trying to unlock the padlock on the basement exit. Small spiders moved about in there nests, freaking Dawn out to the point of just watching as Paul tried to work the lock. At the current moment he was using Monferno to melt the steel lock. Unfortunately, the flame wasn't quite hot enough, and Paul was fresh out of ideas. Then an idea popped into Dawn's head. Taking out her Pokeball she called out her newest pokemon, Espeon.

The purple-furred feline purred as it came out of it's ball, rubbing against Dawn's legs. Paul looked at the pokemon, disgusted by it's weak appearance. Dawn quickly thought of which move she could make the physic pokemon use to break the lock. A little while back she had taught Espeon the move 'Physic' via TM.

"Okay Espeon, use physic and break that lock!" Dawn called her command, and Paul gaped slightly. For such a weak looking pokemon, it had a fairly powerful move. A few _'tink'_swere heard and finally the burning hot lock fell to the ground. Paul called back Monferno, Dawn congratulated Espeon and called her back, and they quickly exited the ghostly basement. Upon exiting they stood on a large hill, overlooking Ecruteak City, wind whipping their hair back. Dawn reached her arms up and stretched, allowing the breeze to caress her body.

Dawn sat down on the grass, but Paul stood, not wanting to sit around and become lazy. They both looked towards the city, knowing they would soon need to return, by midnight at the latest. It was already 10:52, and Dawn's eyes were beginning to droop. She stood back up when her PokeTech signaled that it was 11:00.

"We should head back before they close the city gates." Dawn said, motioning for Paul to follow her. Paul scowled, but complied, following her towards the town.

"Stop telling me what to do stupid chick, or else you figure out what a real battle is like. Got it?" Paul smirked when he noticed Dawn falter slightly. She nodded and continued to lead them into town. A security guard stopped them at the gate and requested an i.d. of some sort. Both trainers flashed there pokedexs and they were allowed passage. Once inside the city, Dawn turned to Paul and waved.

"I-I guess I'll see you around." She grinned nervously and headed towards the Pokemon Center. Then she stopped and turned quickly. "Wait, Paul!"

The boy stopped dead in his tracks and glowered at the poor girl. Dawn sighed, trying to gain enough courage to ask the violet haired boy before her a simple question. "Wo-would you like to co-come to the Contest tomorrow? I'm going to be participating and so I thought you'd like to, you know, cheer me on." She laughed lowly to herself. She sounded pathetic, which was something Paul hated.

"Maybe." With that he turned and left once again, leaving an overjoyed navy haired girl behind him. Now, Dawn also turned and skipped merrily towards the center. She had at least one person coming to cheer her on, maybe. But at least he would be thinking about it. Then she stopped in the court yard. Why was she excited that Paul, of all people, was coming to see her? She couldn't even answer that for herself.

Slipping into the dimly lit center, Dawn immediately went towards her bedroom, hoping not to awaken anyone. To her surprise, May wasn't in yet, nor had anything changed in the room. She shrugged it off and quickly changed into her nightgown. She slipped under the cotton sheets and anxiously awaited the following day.

--------------------------------

Dawn stood in the changing room in the contest hall, forcing her navy hair into a neat little bun. Her scarlet kimono swept over the floor, hiding two wooden sandals. She finished the bun and slipped in a bright comb, decorated with red lace and fake flowers. A few strands of hair had fallen out of the neat little bun, but she had officially given up on the perfection of the bun. A knock on the door brought Dawn back into attention. She turned to the small oak door and finally answered the knocker.

"Come in!" Dawn was surprised when she was May walking in, a red spider lily in her hands. The russet haired girl smiled and handed Dawn the flower.

"Ash wishes you good luck." Dawn gasped, she didn't know that May and Ash knew each other. May sensed this and quickly explained everything, from Ash ruining her bike, to leaving Ash to travel around Johto. Dawn tried to take in all the information as fast as she could, but forgot a few minor details.

"So how's Ash doing, and Misty, and Brock?" Dawn asked, frantic to know how her friends were. Even if it had only been a few days, it felt weird not knowing every detail of her friend's lives.

"Ash and Misty are in another petty little fight. Something to do with Ash and his friend Ritchie always sneaking out at night. Brock is doing fine, just trying to mellow everyone." May smiled and turned towards the clock. "We'd better get going, it's going to start soon."

Dawn grabbed her Espeon's pokeball; she planned on using her for the appeal stage of the contest and for the double-battle part. May held onto her Beautifly's pokeball for dear life, almost afraid that it might get snatched. Like all of the girls in the Ecruteak contest, May was wearing a kimono; a light blue color with a floral design. Dawn looked around, only two other people stood out to her, one being the green-haired boy he had seen with May at one point. The other was a tall blonde girl with hair down to her waist. Her kimono was ebony with a sapphire constellation of Scorpio stitched into the front. On the arms was the symbol of the zodiac, giving this girl a look of wisdom.

The blonde girl looked at Dawn in the corner of her eyes and smiled, Dawn was going to be easy to capture. She grinned at Dawn and then turned back towards the appeal list. The first appeal was going to be made by Dawn, which unnerved the girl a bit. In ten minutes the contest would be starting and she was the one who had to set the bar for everyone else. She took a deep breath, she wasn't sure she was ready for this. All of a sudden, she felt a hand being placed on her petite shoulder, making her jump. Turning quickly, she was delighted to see a familiar face. A black haired boy stood before her, two black zigzags on his face. Both May and Dawn were jumping for joy.

"Ash!" They both yelled before squeezing him to death. The choking boy laughed as best he could in the restraints and detached the girls.

"Hey you guys, how's it going?" He smiled at each of them before going on. "I figured since I had to head to Johto I would surprise you both."

The three of them started talking before Ash was forced to return to his seat. The buzzer sounded, telling Dawn that she was needed on stage in two minutes. She rushed down the dark hallway and was pushed right onto stage, meaning she had to put on her 'I-can-do-this' front. She smiled and waved to the crowd, then she took out her pokeball, a purple diamond sticker was placed on the ball. She called out Espeon, a flurry of purple diamond confetti sprinkled out onto the stage, making the crowd go wild.

"Espeon, start off with Physic, go!" Amethyst and wine colored beams covered the giant stage room, making the crowd gaze it wonder. A few cheered, others waited for the next move.

"Now, use Swift in the Death-Smile pattern!" Espeon nodded to her trainer, understanding the command. It released the golden stars in a pattern. In the end, a jack-o-lantern smile was shining through the physic haze. Now the crowd was going wild; it was something new to all of them, something fairly unique and invigorating. Dawn bowed and recalled her Espeon before leaving the stage.

A few more trainers went before May was told to go up. May walked onto the stage, waving and smiling to the crowd. She called out her Beauifly and started quickly with sleep powder. Then she went on with blowing the dust around, making the entire room sparkle. Then, to finish off her appeal, she ended with Fly. Beautifly flew around the room, collecting all of the powder on it's wings and making it a purple shadow in the air.

Once May's appeal was complete, it was time for round two. Luckily, there was a four hour break before the double battles began. Dawn walked outside, taking a deep breath of the cool, crisp air. It was just like old times, just a simple appeal, and then an intermission. Unfortunately, May and Ash had disappeared, leaving Dawn alone and bored. Although she had forgotten was person who was in the audience.

"Oi, stupid chick." Dawn looked up to see Paul walking towards her, no emotion on his ivory face. She gave him a small smirk and stood up off the edge of the fountain. She was happy he had actually come, but this, again brought up random question like the night before. She took a step forward and stopped when he was right in front of her. An awkward silence passed between the two, until an odd green fog surrounded Dawn. She looked around herself, confusion written all over her face. That's when Paul noticed a small green slip in Dawn's hair. It was releasing a gas, a sleeping gas from the look on Dawn's face. Paul jumped back, making sure the gas didn't get into his lungs.

Finally, the gas became too much and Dawn dropped to the ground, coughing quietly. Suddenly, two blondes walked up behind the sleeping girl and lifted her up. They both wore gas masks; one, to block out the sleeping poison, and two, to hide there identities. The laughed out loud and began to leave with the girl, tossing her body into a large van. Before Paul could send out his starter pokemon, Torterra, a smaller blonde jumped in front of him.

"If you want Miss Dawn back, come to Team Zodiac head quarters tonight." With that she threw down a smoke bomb, and the three girls escaped with Dawn in there grasps.

* * *

**Okay, so I'm taking a vote. I'm not sure if I should do Contestshipping or Hoennshipping. I can easily fix Drew and May's relationship, or I can simply have May travel with Brendan, in which case I need to edit my author's note in chapter one. Which ever you guys want, I'm fine with it.**

**Anyways, Read and Review, as always.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The votes are in and the new side-shipping is... Hoennshipping! I'm sorry if this upsets anyone, but the most votes went to Hoennshipping. And this chapter has even MORE OC characters to hate. Yippie!**

**Warning: This chapter has not been beta-ed. So, I'm currently in need of a new beta.**

**[For those of you who don't know what a beta is, it's someone who proof reads a chapter before it gets posted.**

**

* * *

**Dull red lights flickered on and off, the metal walls reflected the light eerily. It was apparent to Dawn, who had just recently awoken, that she had been thrown into a warehouse, or something along those lines. She had been chained to a wall, although the chains length allowed her to move around. She had been stripped of everything except her under garments, making her shiver with chill. Her body held few bruises or marks of abuse, which made her mind wander. Yes, she was currently in fear of what may have happened as she was asleep. 

The door squeaked open, a dark figure standing in the door way. The figure was slightly curvaceous, signaling that it was in fact a woman. He light steps quickly came closer, and finally she could be made out. Long black hair framed her light face and torso. One cerulean eye glimmered, even in the darkened room; her second eye was covered in an extensive white wrap. A long, tight white coat clung to her body; it fluttered as she stepped, completing her ghostly appearance.

"Hello, I assume you must be the bait." Her monotone voice sent a shiver up Dawn's spine. It was easy to see that this girl was slightly… odd. Dawn refused to speak, afraid of what the taller girl before her may do if the 'wrong' answer was given. "Speak when spoken to bait, or else something… bad, may happen."

"O-okay." The navy haired girl replied. She cleared her throat and continued to speak in an angered tone. "I'm not sure what you mean by bait, but I do have a name. It's Dawn, thank you very much!"

The woman laughed quietly as she dug into her pocket. An extensive syringe was slowly drawn out of the pocket; her grin widened as she took another step towards Dawn. "You know, you're cuter when you **aren't** talking."

Dawn shrunk back, trying to avoid what was to come. She knew sooner or later she would have to feel the silvery liquid be injected into her smooth skin. After a few moments of struggling, she fell to the ground; her eyes dim and showing no emotion. The woman pulled Dawn into her lap, petting her hair, and she finally smiled.

"By the way, **Dawn, **my name is Ivory. Remember it." Those were the last words the drugged girl heard before she fell asleep.

* * *

The violet-haired teen ran down the street, looking every which way, trying to find the Zodiac Head Quarters. The city lights had come on earlier, helping him to check out buildings. Paul was earlier forced to waste time, not wanting to arrive early, for fear of what the consciences would have been.

Now, by some stroke of luck, the young man had received a small tip concerning Zodiac. He had heard that a group of young girls raving about there horoscopes, and how a group of twelve men and women told them their futures. When he asked them about the group, most of the girls swooned; the other few told him of a new fortune-telling business down the street. So, where was he heading; the Zodiac-Star Shoppe.

It was a small store; definitely nothing special, saves for the two girls and two boys who stood outside it, wearing black cloaks. Each one smirked as Paul neared, taking out a pokeball, calling the creatures out of their balls. The pokemon were all the same, one Kadabra stood before their respected trainer, ready to attack at any moment. The four people made a throat-slitting signal and the Kadabra's released a large multi-colored beam, Phybeam.

Paul quickly dropped to the ground, dodging the rays, just seconds away from being blasted back. He quickly snatched a pokeball from his belt, calling out the pokemon, his giant Torterra let out a furious cry. Without a single call from it's trainer, the large people released a fury of razor sharp leaves. The eyes of one Kabadra flashed red, the leaves falling to the ground. The other three Kabadras released another sting of phybeams, each one hitting the slow Torterra. Luckily, Torterra was much stronger than the physic pokemon, thus it was still standing.

"Torterra, go! Hyperbeam!" The massive pokemon quick emitted a growl, then a golden beam shot out, faster than the Kadabras could handle. Paul glared at the trainers, who currently calling back there Kadabras. He was angered by having to wait, while who knows what could possibly be happening to the navy-haired teen inside. He called back the heavily panting pokemon before him, as he made his way towards the group. Each one giggled, despite their loss. Finally, they removed the cloaks from their heads.

It was like they were all clones, each one with short blonde hair and piercing golden eyes. No emotion was shown on their faces, only a wide, yet seemingly fake, smirk. Each one suddenly dropped to the ground as the front door of the shop swung open. A short girl stepped out, a smile playing across her face. Her long, wavy russet hair was currently tied back, kept away from her face.

"Well aren't you super strapping and _so _cute too!" She winked at the golden eyed boy and stepped outside. "You even defeated my puppet-people. What a _man! _Oh, I'm _so glad _they picked you, sweetie!"

Paul glared at the small girl before him, immediate hatred for the girl coursed through him. Right before he could speak, two vines short out from the dark story, sliding around Paul's wrist and dragging him inside. The girl laughed at Paul's struggling, following the trashing boy inside. The doors slammed shut in the wind and suddenly the pair was encased in darkness. Lights flashed on and Paul's wrists were released.

"I'm so happy the plans changed! First we were going to kill you, but now we can spend all of our time together, right boy friend!" At that comment, Paul glared daggers at the girl, annoyed with her childish flirting. The young teen girl suddenly glared right back and stomped her foot. "What's wrong, babe?! Don't you glare at me, or else you won't get to go on a super-special date with me!"

By now, the wheels in Paul head had been turning, a plan finally coming into his head. He smiled and smiled up at the russet-haired girl before him.

"I'm so sorry, but you haven't allowed me to kill off my girl friend yet. You see, she is such a drama queen, and she won't let me go. So, why not kill off the problem?" The young girl squealed happily and threw her petite arms around the tall boy's neck.

"Oh, yes, how ever could I forget! Carla likes it when Pauly acts all killer-like!" She released a high pitched giggle and detached herself from the grimacing boy, "I'll take you right to your bitchy EX-girlfriend!"

Carla quickly grabbed Paul's hand in her own, towing him towards the basement. He flicked on the lights and skipped down the steps, giving no concern to the boy behind her. Her mind was on the new plans. At first, they were told to steal the violet-haired boy's pokemon, and then kill both him and the bait, Dawn. That was quickly changed to; lure Paul into the hide-out, have him join Team Zodiac, and then allow him to replace the current leader. Yes, the leader was getting older, and Paul was exactly what they needed in order to complete there mission.

Finally, the pair stopped in front of a large metal door, which lead into the basement. Carla spun on her heals and giggled once more. She gave Paul a quick hug before opening the door. A burst of cool air hit both of them, sending shivers up and down their spines. The short russet-haired girl nodded to Paul before leaving him. The golden-eyed teen hastily stepped into the room, ignoring the dread within him. Finally, he called out in a calm voice.

"Hey, Stupid Chick, are you in here?" A stir in the corner of the room made Paul run forward, towards the back. He stopped before a scantily clad navy-hair girl-- Dawn. Her eyes slowly fluttered open; they were glazed over from sleep. She shakily extended a hand towards Paul, a light smile upon her face.

"Paul… is that you?" She asked, her voice laced with sleep. She slowly lowered her hand, snuggling her body into the wall. "Paul…"

"Idiot…" The golden-eyed boy lowered himself to eye level with the drowsy girl. Her navy hair was a frizzy mess and her body was completely white. She looked up towards Paul and grimace.

"Can't you be nice to me, just this once?" She shook off the drug slowly, trying to sound intelligible. It was difficult, seeing as the drug was still running it's course. "I've been through a lot of shit today; I had my first contest in Johto, I was drugged by some crazy woman, and to top it all off I'm freezing my butt off--" Paul threw his jacket towards the suddenly talkative girl. He almost liked it better when she was silent; then again, he still enjoyed mocking the regular Dawn.

"Cover yourself up already." A small blush was playing across Paul's face, and an even bigger blush was upon Dawn's face. She had forgotten she had hardly any clothing on. She quickly shrugged on the over size jacket and zipped it up. It hung loosely on her petite form, although it covered her from her chest to her mid-thigh. The sudden warmth that covered her made her giddy. A small smirk came to her face as she tugged the jacket tighter around her. _"Does Paul always smell this good?" _She could smell the mixture of cinnamon and lavender, and it helped her to wake up.

"Let's go." Uncaringly, Paul lifted Dawn, cradling her bridal style. Now wasn't the time to think about the intimate position they were in. He quickly stood and started towards the door to the basement stair. There, her saw a very angry looking Carla, and behind her, a taller woman. Carla was the first to speak.

"Sweetie, what the hell are you doing?!" She growled and walked towards Paul, whipping out a pokeball. "Somehow I think you tried to _trick _me!"

"Carla, relax." The other woman spoke, taking out her own pokeball. "We can take him out easily. No need to allow our emotion to get out of check."

They both called out their pokemon; Carla called out a Bulbasaur, Ivory sending out a Flareon. Both smirk at the boy as he placed Dawn on the ground gently. He whipped out two pokeballs, quickly sending them out. Monferno and Torterra were released, matching up with both girls' pokemon.

"Bulbasaur, use razor leaf!" Carla cried out, anger still clear in her voice.

"Flareon, use flame wheel." Ivory said, still no emotion to be found.

"Torterra, counter the razor leaf with your razor leaf, Monferno, use mach punch on the Bulbasaur now!"

All four pokemon nodded and sprung into action. A soft boom came from the colliding leaves. Torterra and Bulbasaur charged at each other, the smaller of the two struggling to keep up it's energy. Finally, Bulbasaur was pushed back, into a wall. Where as the small grass pokemon was an easy win, Flareon was another story. Both fire types were going at it, trying to out blast each other with fiery attacks. Paul and Ivory called commands as quickly as they possibly could, trying to keep up with the other trainer.

"Well Carla, it seems the boss was right." Ivory giggled as her pokemon fought the Monferno. "Paul will become a perfect leader. He's just powerful enough and intelligent enough to be a great leader."

"I told you he was a though one!" Carla giggled, knowing exactly what was going to happen to Ivory's Flareon. The fire pokemon was getting ready to throw in the towel; it simply couldn't keep up much longer. "And plus; he's got that secret power!"

"Not so loud Carla, we need to keep that a secret." Ivory sighed as she called back her now fainted Flareon. "Besides, it will take a while before it's born within him."

Both girls nodded to each other, then turned to the fuming boy before them.

"See you later." The spoke so quickly it was hard to make out what they said. A blast of black smoke surrounded the two women as they made their escape. That left Paul with a barely conscious female lying beside him. Dawn smiled up at Paul before closing her eyes.

"Thank you Paul." The navy-haired girl said before finally passing out. The golden-eyed boy scooped her up once again, crossing the room towards the stairs once again. He struggled to carry her up the stairs, but was relieved to find at the top of the stairs, a nurse Joy standing there. From what she had said, she heard an explosion and rushed to help. Paul lowered Dawn onto the stretcher and she was quickly placed into an ambulance.

It was easy to see that Paul had had enough for one night.

* * *

The next morning, Dawn awoke to a small group of people hovering around her hospital bed. She was informed as to what had happened, and she turned beat red. She didn't remember Paul carrying her out to the ambulance; she actually didn't even remember seeing him at all. But, there he was, standing in the corner of the room, away from everyone else. Ash had been questioning her profusely, trying to figure out what had happened. May had also come with Ash, and another boy with russet hair and gorgeous brown eyes. He had been introduced as Ritchie, although Dawn really knew nothing about him yet.

"Oh, I forgot to mention Dawn that we got the battle round pushed back a day." May added to the conversation, a smile on her face as she delivered the good news. "Brendan and I had to practically beg on our hands and knees though."

"Thanks May!" The cerulean-eyed girl said, her voice over-flowing with energy. Since the drug had worn off, she felt much better. "And don't you worry; I'm going to be perfect by tomorrow!"

"But Dawn, that's when everyone worries the most!" Ash stated jokingly, making Dawn laugh. It was an inside-joke of sorts, ever since Ash had heard her mother saying it. Since then, Ash would always say he was worried.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Dawn waved her hand, as if waving the groups worries away. "I'll be fine."

The group spoke a little longer, but finally everyone was forced to leave. Visiting hours had officially ended. Unfortunately, Dawn was left with Paul, whom she was ready to question. Why had Paul been there, and why had he saved her? But before she could get to asking, he had cut her off.

"I'm going to my room." Dawn visibly frown, earning a sigh from Paul. "I'll be back in the morning."

The navy-haired girl smiled once again, even with Paul leaving. Tomorrow was going to be a great day, or so one might have though. But little did Dawn know what sort of troubles the next day would bring.

* * *

**Okay, so I know this is shorter, but my muses aren't around right now. Thus, I am stuck in this idiotic Writer's-Block pit!**

**Sorry.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guess what? The muses have returned, and this chapter should make up for the last chapter. And I know a few of you are upset about the hoennshipping, but please just give it a chance. There will be NO Drew bashing, so don't worry. I'll try and find someone for him. :)**

**Fluff opening. Enjoy.**

* * *

Even though she was worried about her hospitalized friend, May couldn't sit around and freak out. No, rather she needed to get her mind off things- and what better way than to go on a date with Brendan? Even though the brunet girl had only been dating him for a day or so, she was already crazy about the white haired boy. They were perfect for each other, at least in her mind.

Although she was happy with Brendan, May couldn't help but think about Drew every once in a while. She tried not to think of him whenever Brendan was around, but sometimes it was difficult. Drew was still a huge part of her life; he was her first boyfriend after all. She sighed, dismissing the green haired male from her mind entirely.

Stepping outside the rest station, May found herself by the very pool of water where Brendan had first asked her to travel with him. This was where they decided to meet up for their little date. A circle of lanterns was set up on the beach, they surround a light blue blanket. A smile brightened up May's face as she ran towards the blanket. Now the question was where Brendan was.

The tall girl shrugged and sat on the soft blanket, knowing Brendan would be there soon. Her hunch was correct, when she suddenly had a lily hanging before her face. May turned upwards to see Brendan standing behind her, looking lovingly down at her. He slowly sat down behind her, pulling her against his chest. Since they were childhood friends, they had done this sort of stuff in the past, so it wasn't too awkward.

A cool breeze caressed May's body, making her shiver slightly. Brendan quickly reacted, wrapping his gentle arms around May's cold form. She buried her face into his chest, smiling like a little child. So far they had said nothing, but their actions said everything. It was lovely when body language could say what words could not.

"You know May, this may be sappy but …" Brendan cut himself off as he looked down at May. When she looked up, he continued. "May I have this dance?"

May blushed as they stood up, hands interlaced lovingly. The sounds of Kricketune and Hoothoot served as music. They spun and twirled, enjoying every moment of the dance. The minutes flew by, each one being filled with joy. Finally, after an hour had passed by, the couple walked towards the water, simply talking and holding hand, in a state of bliss.

Before May even knew what was going on, Brendan turned to face her, pulling her close, and placed his feather soft lips upon her own. A blush played across May's face as she returned the affectionate gesture. The kiss continued on until a rustle from the bushed alerted them. Suddenly, the green haired boy that had been haunting May's thought ran towards the rest station leading into the city. Before she could run after him, Brendan held her back, shaking his head.

May knew it was best to let Drew move on his own way, but she couldn't help feeling horrible for what he had seen. A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she hid her face in Brendan's chest once again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn's gorgeous cerulean eyes looked out the window, looking upon the small park behind the hospital. Bright sunlight streamed into her room, and so far the day was going by splendidly. She was being released once a few forms were signed, then she would be able to get ready for the final round of the contest. From what May had told her earlier in the day, her first battle was against someone by the name of Eli.

The navy-haired girl turned when the light squeak of the door sounded in the room. In the door way stood a young nurse, who surprisingly enough wasn't a Joy. Long red hair streamed down her back, ending at her waist. She pushed up her wire-framed glassed and cleared her voice. "Your papers have been filled out and you are free to leave."

Without hesitation, Dawn grabbed her bags and bolted out of the room. She felt a lot better after a good night's sleep, and she was willing to bet her pokemon enjoyed the rest period too. She knew they would need a lot of rest and relaxation to do well in today's contest. Today was the battle round, if memory served. She smiled, knowing exactly which pokemon she was going to use.

Stepping into the lobby, Dawn didn't see anyone waiting to greet her. It stung a little, since she clearly remembered Paul saying he would meet her in the morning. Even with the after effects of the drug she could remember his promise.

So, in all honesty, Dawn would admit that she had a crush on the strong violet haired trainer. Where as he was cold and mean, he was also attractive, protective, and strong. The navy haired girl sighed as she left the hospital, a little bit of anger welling up inside of her. Nobody broke a promise to Dawn, not even Paul.

In all reality, she was mostly upset because she was scared of what may happen if she was alone again. Not that she had been alone the first time, but she felt even less safe when she was alone.

But all of her anger and worry quickly subsided when she saw two people waiting for her- Riri and Paul. Although from the looks of things, the two were arguing. The navy haired girl quickly jogged towards the two, quickly stepping between the two. Riri's bright amber eyes flashed with anger. Paul on the other hand seemed calm with annoyance twisting his features. Dawn giggled lightly and sighed, hoping to use her cute-charm to stop the fight.

"Hey guys, what's happening?" A bright smile played across her face as she pushed the two away from each other. "I see you two are getting along perfectly!"

"This girl is more annoying than you are." The violet haired boy replied bluntly, not even caring to spare Riri's feelings. "She's weak and pushy."

"I'm sorry Dawn, but I have to question your choice in friends." Riri looked towards Dawn, her face blank. "I simply asked him to return to Headquarters with me so we could use his pow—"

"Shut up, stupid chick!" Paul's golden eyes were ablaze with sudden emotion. "She doesn't need to know about this Riri!"

Riri glared at Paul, then turned to Dawn and nodded, quickly storming off after her fleeting gesture. The navy haired girl had never seen the young girl become angry, and it was a scary sight. The blonde was suddenly a different person, no longer the kind girl from before. Once Riri was out of sight Dawn spun on her heels, glaring daggers at Paul.

"What was _that _all about?" If Dawn thought she was angry before, she was furious now. She raised her hand to slap the tall male before her, but he easily caught her wrist, an almost inhuman like speed in his movements. She gasped and tried to pull her arm away, only to have it being crushed under the pressure of Paul's grasp. "P-Paul, stop, you're hurting me…"

"You know nothing, and you will never know anything either." His golden eyes flashed and he let Dawn's tiny wrist drop. "Just leave me alone."

Without another word, Paul walked off, immediately being swallowed by the crowd. Dawn couldn't help but drop dramatically to her knees; a look of fear and shock in her cerulean eyes. She couldn't figure out what had happened, and not even Riri was around to explain things to her. After a moment of so, she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder, before hearing a voice.

"Dawn, are you okay?" The voice belonged to Ash, and it broke Dawn out of her reverie. She stood up slowly, then without warning, latched herself to Ash in a friendly way. A few tears were falling from her saddened eyes. She sobbed gently into Ash's shoulder, not saying a word. "Hey, what happened? What's wrong?"

"He just left me here, without explaining anything!" Dawn's sobs slowed to a stop, and she released Ash. Her eyes were red and puffy, making a few people stop and stare in curiosity. "Please, Ash… will you find Paul for me and get him to come to the contest?"

Ash nodded before running off to find the violet haired boy. Slowly, Dawn started towards the contest building in Ecruteak, wiping her eyes as she did so.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn sat inside the waiting room in the large contest hall. Her battle was next, and so far she had seen no sign of Paul, or Ash, for that matter. May and Brendan had wished her the best of luck, but other than that things had been fairly uneventful. A ringer sounded, meaning the next battle was about to start- Dawn's battle. She held both Prinplup and Espeon's pokeballs in her hands, nervous about the appeal battle.

She ran down the hall, straight towards the stage door. A blonde woman stood on stage, smiling as Dawn walked up. A look of determination crossed Dawn's face as she stood before the crowd. Suddenly, the ground where Dawn stood and where her challenger stood rose up about ten feet. Her opponent was obviously use to this, but a look of shock was easy to see on Dawn's face.

The MC came on and introduced the two girls, the blonde girl being called Eli. When the woman in the center of the stage left both coordinators sent out there pokemon.

"Prinplup and Espeon, _Spotlight_!" Bubbles and purple petals fell around the stage as the two pokemon took the stage. Espeon struck a pose, Prinplup doing the same. Eli smiled then called out her own pokemon.

"Vaporeon, Poliwrath- Make a splash." Drops of water splashed about the stage as the two water types took the stage. Unlike Dawn's pokemon, these two were down to business. Without Eli even calling an attack, they both released a powerful Hydro Pump. The two splashed crossed each other's path and drenched the stage, not hitting Dawn's pokemon for some reason.

"Okay… well, here goes nothing!" Dawn smiled and looked down at her pokemon. "Prinplup, use ice beam. Espeon, split the beam into two with a Phychic attack!"

The MC continued to narrate the battle. Both of Eli's pokemon danced around the beams, only to be hit in the back. It hardly did any damage, since the attack had been split in two. Eli smiled and snapped her fingers. Poliwrath quickly used Hydro Pump, shooting it straight at Espeon.

"Force it back Espeon!" A bright purple light stopped the Hydro Pump, but it couldn't stop what was inside the watery blast. Vaporeon shot through the water, slamming right into Espeon's forehead. Espeon fell back, releasing it's hold on the water. It was slammed back, right into Dawn's stand. "Espeon, are you alright?"

Currently Dawn was losing, her points being bellow half. Eli was in lead, being right on the half way line. The blonde woman smiled and finally gave her pokemon a vocal command. "Poliwrath, Mach Punch. Vaporeon, blizzard."

The entire field was a blur, snow falling all over the place relentlessly. Dawn tried to locate her pokemon, but it was no use. "Espeon, use calm mind to lessen the damage and Prinplup use bide."

The large penguin took the damage; slowly losing it's will to go on. Dawn was down to the wire; her points were dangerously low by this point. Suddenly, a large burst of light flashed over the stage as Prinplup released it's Bide. With the new found light, Vaporeon and Poliwrath shielded their eyes. Espeon quickly charged at it's new found rival, Vaporeon. With Vaporeon out of the picture, Poliwrath was the only opponent remaining. Espeon quickly created a shadow ball and shot it at the weak pokemon. Right after, Espeon also fell, her energy completely depleted.

Once the light faded, Prinplup was the only one left stand, although he was also fairly weak. The MC declared the battle over and both coordinators recalled their pokemon. The platforms lowered and Dawn ran into the waiting hall, hoping to see Paul awaiting her, giving her a simple congratulations. No such luck, in fact the only one back stage was a contest official, telling her the name of her next opponent.

"Hello Miss Dawn. Your next opponent will be May." The official smiled, moving a few locks of pink hair away from her face. "Remember, it's the finals, so all eyes will be on you. But really, it's too bad that both Brendan and Drew dropped out. Something about not wanting to fight each other. They have always been my favorites!"

The official swooned as she left, continuing to go on about Drew and Brendan. Dawn sighed as she set her pokeballs on a healing machine. After a few moments, she grabbed the balls and headed right back out to the battle arena. The final round was a simple one-on-one battle. Appeals counted twice as much, adding to the level of difficulty.

May stood on the stage, smiling over at Dawn, happy to be facing a new found friend. The MC once again started the battle, telling the two girls to bring out their pokemon.

"Buneary, _spot-light!_" Dawn smiled as she let out the small bunny, it bounced about happily as it awaited it's competitor.

"Blaziken, you're on!" The large fire pokemon towered over Dawn's tiny Buneary, staring down on it ominously. Buneary quickly hopped back, awaiting Dawn's command. Before Dawn spoke, May started the match. "Fire Blast!"

"Dodge Buneary, then come back with a jump kick." The small bunny jumped above the fire and quickly came down straight on Blaziken's forehead. The tall fire pokemon winced before slashing Buneary away. "Use quick attack Buneary!"

"Blaziken use mega kick and blast it back!" Buneary slammed right into Blaziken's foot, but it wasn't blasted back. Instead of pushing away from the incoming force of the kick, she slammed a bunch of sharp teeth into the fire type's foot. Blaziken cried out and tried to throw Buneary off. Finally Buneary hopped away, back towards Dawn's platform. So far, Dawn was in lead by a long shot, for May was just about to run out of points. Before Dawn could call out another command, May raised her hand, holding a red flag. She had surrendered. The platforms lowered and soon Dawn was walking over to her brunet friend, both recalling their pokemon as this was going on.

"May, why'd you quit?" The navy haired girl placed her hand on her hips as she stood before her friend.

"If we had gone on any longer, Blaziken would have been extremely hurt." May closed her eyes as she placed Blaziken's pokeball on her belt. "Your Buneary did a number on his foot."

"I'm really sorry May; I didn't think that'd happen." When Dawn looked up again she saw that May had already left. The navy haired girl sighed and walked forward, accepting her ribbon and taking a quick bow. When she looked up she smiled; Paul had seen, and right beside him was a smiling Ash. Ritchie had also come, his hand interlaced with Ash's. The curtain dropped and the lights were turned off. Dawn ran off stage, not wanting to stay on stage any longer than she had to.

She changed out of her contest dress- not to be mistaken with her old pink dress- and pulled on her usual blue skirt and white shirt combo. She folded up the light blue gown and slipped it into her travel bag with ease. She stepped out of the dressing room and into an eerie silence. Nobody was around, and it was sending a chill up her spine. She walked down the deserted hall and upon entering the entrance area; she noticed that still nobody was around. Save for one person that is…

"Paul, what are you doing here?" She walked towards him, reaching a hand out to touch him, but her hand simply went trough him. Suddenly he disappeared and reappeared a little further back, smiling at Dawn.

"As I said before, you know nothing." The room suddenly became dark and Dawn felt a pounding feeling in her mind. The room was spinning, and the only thing that wasn't blurred was Paul. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, clutching her head in pain.

"What's going on…? Paul?" She gripped the ground, trying to return to reality. There was so much pain in her body she wanted to scream, but something was suppressing the yelp. She crawled forward and clutched onto Paul's now solid jacket. She pulled herself up and looked straight into tall boy's liquid golden eyes. A smile was still upon his face; it was frightening.

"You humans are so useless, you can't even begin to understand this power, can you?" Paul's usual deep voice became deeper still, his eyes glowing darkly. He gripped Dawn's shoulder tightly, crushing it with immense power and strength, Dawn once again tried to scream, but found herself unable to. Then, somewhere behind Paul she could see a bright light. Her entire body felt warmth wrap around it, healing her hurting body. Finally she was able to speak above a whisper.

"Paul… _stop now_!" She pushed him back and glared at him, breathing heavily. Paul fell against a registration counter. He blinked, not in pain, but in confusion. Suddenly, the entire room burst into life. People entered the room, ignoring the two whom had been fighting. It was as though the entire world had been frozen.

Paul pushed off of the counter and walked towards Dawn, emotion taken from his face once again. Dawn stepped backwards, trying to keep distance between the two. Finally she was backed into a corner, shivers from fear ringing up her back. Dawn watched as Paul fell to the ground, his eyes once again flashing an odd color. The entire room froze once again as Paul grabbed Dawn's hand, pulling her forward forcefully.

"We need to get out of here now." He turned back to look at the frightened girl behind him before sighing. "Don't worry, I'm in control again."

"Why did you lose control in the first place?!" Dawn found herself yelling. She wasn't angry, rather she was extremely confused. She wanted answers- answers she knew Paul wouldn't give her.

"Can you just not ask questions, stupid chick?" Paul shook his head, violet locks falling onto his shoulders. "You have a contest in Mahogany Town, right?"

"Yeah- I do- why?" Paul stopped before a rest stop that led out of town. He turned on his heels and looked Dawn straight in the eyes.

"Because from this day on you have to travel with me." All color drained from Dawn's face. Just great, she had to travel with a violet haired beauty who could lose control at any moment. Could this day get any better?

**

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry my updates are taking so long. I've been pretty busy lately. I know that's not a great reason, but it's the truth. Anyways, don't go thinking Paul is suddenly all powerful, because it doesn't quite work like that. And honestly, you've only scratched the surface of his little 'powers'.**

**Anyways, I have two new stories in the makings. One is a Sci-fi of sorts- it takes place in an online game sort of world. The other will be more of a story book fantasy. I'm not sure which will be released to the public first though. I'm going to most likely release the sci-fi one, then once Johto! Spotlight! has ended, I'll release the second story. Although, this story is FAR from over, trust me. **

**Peace out—and review, of course:)**


	6. Important!

Hello readers one and all

**Hello readers one and all. :)**

**I know I haven't updated in a ****long**** time- but there is a reason for that! I'm currently rewriting the entire story. Where this story was currently going just wasn't what I wanted. So, instead of forcing myself to continue with the current story, I'm going to rewrite everything.**

**Expect longer chapters, more character development, etc.**

**Anyways, I'm still working away at this, so expect me to post up the first chapter this summer. I promise you won't regret it. 3**

**I'll be taking this story down to replace it with the new version once I put up the revised chapter.**

**So, I bid you all goodbye until this summer- where you can expect a great new story- with a ****much**** stronger plot to boot!**

**-xxHikari-Vanityxx**


End file.
